DIY - Wooden Plant Tray - Spring Decor

Right after completing the building of the shelves in the basement, I gave the entire space a good dose of organization. There were lots of stuff that was still in good shape but we didn't use. So, I brought it a donation center, while there, I couldn't resist not getting inside to check what treasures were waiting. ;)

Of course, it was a lucky day. 😊 I spotted a big ceramic bowl and a set of cute little soup bowls that were begging coming home with me. Hey, only $15 for seven pieces, that's a really good deal!

They stayed there in a corner in my office waiting on me on how to use them or where to keep them safe.

So, last week when I finally started decorating for Spring, I decided to turn them into planters.

However, all by themselves, the little plants looked lonesome and that's when the idea of a wooden tray began.

Most of the wooden material I used for this project is from the scrap pile. The handle and tray feet are spindles and legs saved from a chair. I highly recommend using old materials to give it that rustic feel, and hey it's cheaper!

Using a miter saw, I cut out two - 1-inch pieces from each chair leg. I was building two trays, I needed eight little feet.

You can build this little tray using a drill, wood glue, a hand saw, hammer and nails. However, the more power tools you use, the faster and easier the build will be.

1. Secure feet
Glue the feet to the underside of the main tray board. Precision is not necessary. Set them close to the corners.
Once the glue dries, flip the board and if desired, drive a couple of 1¼" brad nails to secure them even more.

2. Install border molding around tray plate
Cut the flat molding to size and secure it around the perimeter of the tray with glue and 1" nails.

3. Add a handle
I gave the trays a tall handle in order to give the plants space to grow. Here, I was checking how high I needed to go.

Drill a ½" hole, centered and 1½" from the top on each side handle, in order to accommodate the dowel rod. Drill pocket holes on the opposite side and use glue and 1¼" screws to attach the handle to the tray.